Check out the latest Ford Fusion police interceptor. It's a hybrid vehicle, having a 2-Liter 4-cylinder engine and 1.4 kilowatt lithium-ion battery, and it's expected to get 38 mpg in combined city-highway driving.

Although the specs have been released the car itself is not yet ready for purchase, as it's presently set to earn it's "pursuit rating" when it's formally tested later this year by the Michigan State Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Departments. (To get a pursuit rating, cars have to perform well in acceleration, handling, braking, top speed and ergonomics and make the list of cars that the Michigan and Los Angeles agencies would buy.)

The new Fusion admittedly won't be as fast as the existing Taurus Police Interceptor, which has a 3.7-Liter turbocharged V-6, but Ford expects it to be quick enough (not to fail to mention that it'll get 20 mpg more than Ford's current police car, the Taurus Police Interceptor, and is expected to and reportedly will save police agencies nearly $4,000 in gas per vehicle per year).

Ford reportedly says that when the throttle is held down for 5 seconds the car will go into "pursuit mode", using both the electric motor and the gas engine for maximum performance. But the big savings come in as police cars spend much of their time in service simply idling, and that's where the hybrid has a true advantage because the gas engine is designed to shut off at idle with the battery handling the electrical load for flashers, radios and other items.

The car won't be available until Fall, 2018 and the price-tag is presently unknown, still many law enforcement agencies are excited. Thomas Korabik, Chief of the 10-man North Muskegon, Michigan Police Department (and who also is the President of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police), reportedly said that his city presently spends about $22,000 per year on gasoline for it's 4 cruisers and that he's more than interested in potentially cutting that expense in half. But Chief Korabik also reportedly wonders whether or not the new hybrid Fusion (which is smaller than the Taurus) is big enough inside to carry computers, radios and other equipment, as many police departments have switched to SUVs to handle the equipment. Per Chief Korabik: "Anytime you can save money it is good [but] I'd want to see the car first and see how it would hold up." But Todd Soderquist, Ford's chief engineer for the hybrid Fusion Police Responder, while reportedly conceding that the Fusion is smaller than the Taurus on the outside, stated: "Internally, you'll be surprised at how comparable they are."

Naturally European Police Agencies are ahead of the US. See Germany, which uses the Volkswagon E-Golf...

and England, which uses the Mitsubishi i-MiEV....

But those tinker-toys are not bad-a** Fords.

Memo to Police Agencies everywhere: Go American or go home!

When it comes to the subject of "Cops, Courts and Constitutions" you should always have a skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney who is focused on serving your interests. While we can't stop the cops from arresting you, as your legal counsel Michael A. Haber, PA will ensure that your rights are respected from the moment that representation begins and that any abuses which may have occurred beforehand are remedied.

THIS BLOG POST (AS ARE ALL OF HABERPA BLOG POSTS) IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT WHICH IS PRIMARILY DESIGNED, BY WAY OF REAL WORLD EXAMPLE, TO ASSIST THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN AVOIDING CONDUCT WHICH COULD FORESEEABLY RESULT IN ARREST AND PROSECUTION!